Taste Test: Iced Coffee Drinks

The Good Housekeeping Institute had 24 Good Housekeeping staffers conduct a taste test of drinks from four big national brands

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Dec 4, 2002

David Andrew Gilder

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When you need a coffee fix on hot summer days, those icy blended drinks are clearly the way to go. But with all the different coffee-flavored versions of the sweet, thick and creamy beverages, it's hard to know which ones are worth the money — and the calories. So the Good Housekeeping Research Institute had 24 Good Housekeeping staffers conduct a taste test of drinks from four big national brands: Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts, Baskin Robbins, and 7-Eleven.

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THE RESULTS

Baskin-Robbins's Cappuccino Blast and 7-Eleven's Cafe Cooler in Dark Mountain Roast Mocha tied for first place. "All four drinks had their fans," says GHRI nutrition director, Delia Hammock, who conducted the taste test. "Taste is subjective, and I encourage people to try different brands to see what they enjoy."

Good Housekeeping rated the Baskin-Robbins Cappuccino Blast as having the least artificial flavor. It's very well blended, and the standard drink comes topped with whipped cream. The bad news: 340 calories and 16 fat grams.

Aside from being tasty, the 7-Eleven Cafe Cooler in Dark Mountain Roast Mocha was the least expensive drink in our test, at $1.99 for a 16-ounce serving. Its refreshing taste and icy consistency fooled testers into thinking that it had the fewest calories of the bunch. However, it actually ranked the highest at 480 calories and 9.3 grams of fat.

If you're looking to satisfy your sweet tooth, head to Dunkin' Donuts and order a Coffee Coolatta. Although this drink came in third overall, the tasters thought it was the sweetest. Ask the store to make the drink with fat-free milk, and the calorie count goes down to 230, the lowest of the drinks. But if you don't specify, Dunkin' Donuts will probably make your Coolatta with light cream, which results in a whopping 370 calories and 16 grams of fat. (These figures don't include the optional — and often requested — whipped cream.)

"Consumers should check the nutritional information of their favorite drinks, especially if they have them often," says Hammock. "There's a difference between downing 270 and 480 calories — if you're drinking cold coffee drinks every day. If it's just an occasional thing, you might as well go with your taste buds."

So what about Starbucks, whose Frappuccino has practically become a household name? The Good Housekeeping testers rated the most expensive brand — ranging from $2.99 to $3.65 for 16 ounces — just slightly behind Dunkin' Donuts. The Frappuccino was the best from a calorie and fat standpoint, though: just 270 calories and 3.5 grams of fat.